Accessory Structures in Salinas, CA (2026)
4 verified accessory structures rules for Salinas, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
ADU Rules
Salinas zoning tables list accessory dwelling units as a permitted use in every base district, from agricultural to residential high density, with each table's footnote stating ADUs 'shall be permitted pursuant to State ADU law' rather than imposing a separate local standard.
Salinas Accessory Dwelling Unit Zoning
Few RestrictionsSalinas, CA, Municipal Code Sec. 37-10.250 ('A' Definitions, Accessory Dwelling Unit); Table 37-30.30, note (5)
"Accessory Dwelling Unit." An attached or a detached residential dwelling unit defined as either an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) or a Junior Accessory Dwelling (JADU) that is constructed in compliance with State ADU law. ... Accessory dwelling units, shall be permitted pursuant to State ADU law.
ADU Impact Fees
Accessory dwelling units in Salinas are exempt from the city's development impact fees, which otherwise fund park, street tree, storm sewer, and sanitary sewer facilities. Municipal Code Sec. 9-44(d) grants ADUs, as defined in the zoning chapter, a five-year exemption window from the revision's effective date.
Salinas ADU Development Impact Fee Exemption
Few RestrictionsSalinas, CA, Municipal Code Sec. 9-44(d) (Exemptions and Credits)
Accessory dwelling units as defined in Chapter 37 (Zoning) of the Salinas City Code shall be exempt from development impact fees for a period of five years from the effective date of this revision.
Shed & Carport Rules
Salinas Zoning Code Section 37-50.010(i) caps utility sheds at 120 square feet each, with a 240-square-foot aggregate limit per lot. Sheds cannot sit in front or corner side yards, must clear interior property lines by one foot in the front half of the lot, and are limited to seven feet in height within one foot of any property line.
Salinas Utility Shed Size and Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsSalinas, CA, Municipal Code Sec. 37-50.010(i) (Accessory Uses and Structures: Utility Sheds)
(i)Utility Sheds. In an A, R-L, R-M, or R-H district, utility sheds shall be allowed on any lot with a single-family detached dwelling unit, subject to the following:(1)Area. A utility shed may not exceed a maximum of one hundred twenty square feet in area, and the aggregate area of utility sheds on any lot shall not exceed two hundred forty square feet.(2)Location. Utility sheds shall not occu...
Garage Conversions
Salinas requires the CC&Rs of every residential condominium conversion to permanently forbid owners from converting required parking, including garages, into living space, storage, or any other nonparking use. Sec. 31-705(b) builds the prohibition directly into the recorded CC&Rs the city reviews before approving the project's final map.
Salinas Bans Garage-to-Living-Space Conversions in Condos
Significant RestrictionsSalinas, CA, Municipal Code Sec. 31-705(b)
(b)Garage conversions. The CC&R's shall forbid the conversion of any required parking areas to living, storage, or other nonparking floor space in any project; and(c)Insurance. The CC&R's shall require that all units shall be subject to a policy of fire insurance. It is preferred that the CC&R's authorize the homeowners' association, at its discretion, to obtain a blanket fire insurance policy ...
Looking for Monterey County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Salinas city rules.
Accessory Structures in Monterey County →